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Could we soon see a faster, pollution-free way to avoid getting stuck in traffic in Manhattan? Vertical Aerospace, a U.K.-based aviation company, is laying the groundwork to launch electric air taxis in New York City later this decade. The plan is to take some of the city’s most painful trips and shorten them from hours to minutes by flying above the gridlock (and with zero emissions to boot).
The aircraft, called Valo, is an electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL). It's designed to cruise at up to 150 miles per hour, with a range of about 100 miles. That’s enough to cover airport runs, crosstown hops and quick escapes to the Hamptons without breaking a sweat.
The design is intentionally premium. Four seats, panoramic windows, real legroom and space for roller bags and personal items. Vertical says the cabin can be reconfigured to fit up to six seats, which would help operators lower fares over time.
One of the biggest hurdles for any flying taxi in New York is noise. Vertical says Valo’s electric propulsion system is engineered to be significantly quieter than traditional helicopters. That matters in a city where helicopter complaints are already a political issue, and where regulators are watching closely.
New York is central to Vertical’s U.S. plans. The company is working with Bristow, a major helicopter operator, and Skyports Infrastructure, which owns Downtown Skyport on the East River. Together, they’ve mapped out potential routes that plug directly into the city’s existing heliport network.
The most obvious use case is airport transfers. A flight from JFK to Lower Manhattan that currently takes well over an hour by car could be cut to minutes. Other proposed routes include game-day flights to MetLife Stadium, sightseeing tours over the city, weekend trips to East Hampton and crosstown travel between heliports on the East and West sides.
Emergency medical flights and other critical services are part of the plan as well, along with cargo and specialized operations. Vertical pitches Valo as a multi-use aircraft, not just a toy for the wealthy.
Vertical is targeting certification in 2028, working closely with the FAA and the Department of Transportation. If approval comes through, production and deliveries would follow, with at least 175 aircraft planned by 2030 and a much larger scale-up after that.
The announced plans for NYC follow a premier of proposed routes at an event in London, where Vertical plans to launch service. The company displayed its Valo aircraft at the Classic Car Club in Manhattan last week, and hopefully we'll see these futuristic taxis in the air soon.